Olaball Aftermath
by The Princess of Stars
Summary: The olaball match did more than just bring Gabe and his father closer. Elena had helped him in more ways than she probably realized, but that wasn't all that lead Gabe to like her as more than just a friend. What will happen during the Peace Festival's after-party?


**My first attempt at a Gabelena one-shot. Also, there is a list of salsa and bachata moves, look them up on Youtube to get the idea, I was too lazy to describe them all, plus, too much detail was pointless to the story. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

 _ **Olaball Aftermath**_

After giving his father the trophy so he could go put it in the bakery, Gabe was swarmed back by the celebrating teammates and fans. That was his moment, he was the hero of both Olaball and saving the two young princesses. For once he was feeling really happy with himself. He hugged his teammates and received pats on the back by their fans and opponents, responding to their compliments, by congratulating their skills as well. He turned around and saw the one person who helped him make that moment possible. Elena had a huge smile on her face as she jogged up to him to hug him in celebration. Acting on impulse, Gabe surprised her as he picked her up by the waist and lifted her up in the air, spinning her around and laughing along with her. Smiling, Elena wrapped her arms around his neck for support as he gently placed her back down. A small shiver ran down Gabe's spine as he felt Elena's hands slide down his shoulders, one resting on his arm, the other holding his forearm as he had taken a step back, but kept one hand on her waist as the other held back her forearm.

"See? I _said_ you could do it!" Elena said, giving his forearm a small squeeze. Her amber-brown eyes shining happily, as she smiled proudly at him.

"I owe everything to you, Princess" Gabe said truthfully.

"You owe me nothing. You already had it in you. You just needed to find _your_ way" Elena replied smiling.

"I wouldn't have if it weren't for you. So, again: thank you, Elena, for everything" he said smiling, his gentle brown eyes never leaving hers. There was a crowd cheering in victory, but for a moment it did not seem to matter as Gabe and Elena's eyes stared into one another. Their smiles became more timid as, after a moment of hesitation, Gabe took a step closer to her, his hand gently sliding up the princess' arm. Elena's small shy smile never left her face, but she didn't dare to move as she noticed Gabe leaning in towards her and surprised herself as lightly tilted her head towards him and her eyes closed the moment she saw Gabe close his.

"Gabriel! Me amigo!" Rico shouted jumping between them with his crutches and hugging Gabe, oblivious of what was about to happen between him and Elena "Those were some awesome moves! You need to teach me some day. Maybe next year we could play together on the team" the player said letting go of him.

"Yes, of course. I look forward to it, Rico" Gabe said slightly annoyed by the guy's timing, but just as he was about to say something to send him away, Naomi pounced on Elena wrapping her arms around her chest from behind.

"Elena! There you are! Come on, Luisa said we have to go change and get ready for the after-party! Let's go!" Naomi said and with that she took her friend by the arm and dragged her away. The after-party… Olaball wasn't just the best part of the Peace Festival. The party that followed was just as loved, especially since Avalor got to show off its Latin dances and music. This year, the Peace Festival was even more important as it was the first after 41 years. With Avalor's victory in the Olaball match, now it was time to celebrate. After changing out of their olaball jersey and into their usual attire, way more comfortable for the after-party, the two teams joined the celebrations at the market place, one of Avalor City's main squares, near the docks.  
Elena was glad that for once she did not have to make a speech or anything of that sort, at the moment she just wanted to relax and enjoy the festival. She couldn't say the same for Gabe, as she saw he was back in his uniform and back to being her royal guard, the moment he opened the carriage for her.

"Gabe! Don't tell me you're already back on duty!" she told him incredulously, taking his hand as he helped her down the carriage.

"Hate to disappoint, Princess, but as long as you're in my sight range, I am" he replied with his signature grin, before holding his hand out for Luisa as she got down.

"Nonsense!" the elder woman exclaimed "You are part of the team, too! You made us win"

"Exactly!" added Naomi, taking his hand to climb down the carriage as well "Not to mention you also saved Isabel and Princess Caterina when they got stuck up on the Voladores platform"

"Yeah! You deserve to relax and celebrate, too. Take the evening off. You are our hero today" Elena said placing a hand on his shoulder. Little did she know that that little gesture was enough to make his heart beat a little faster. It had been doing that for a while, now even more since what seemed to have been a moment that got rudely interrupted. He didn't know what had come over him, but he wondered if Elena thought about that almost-kiss too. Unfortunately, her body language and casual attitude said that she had probably already forgotten about it.

"If it is okay with your grandmother" Gabe said looking shyly towards Luisa.

"Abuela?" Elena said once more in that same persuasive voice, glancing at her grandmother.

"Oh, you don't even have to ask, Mija! Run along you two and go have fun" Luisa said smiling. Elena smiled widely.

"Thank you" Gabe said with a small bow.

"Thanks, Abuela!" Elsa said "Come on, Gabe let's go! You too, Naomi! I want to see you both on that dance floor, having the time of your lives!" said the crown princess wrapping an arm around her friend and looping the other through her guard's arm, dragging them with her. Naomi didn't wait for too long to oblige to her friend's request, in fact, as soon as they found Mateo, he barely had the time to congratulate the three of them on the game, that Naomi dragged him to the dance floor for a samba. On the other hand, Elena had been stolen by King Joaquin and his wife, who were talking with her cousin and grandfather.

Once again, Gabe had been left alone. Not that it really mattered. He was used to being on his own, but for once he was feeling happy. He had finally managed to make his father proud, no matter their differences. He thought about what he had told his papa the moment he told him for the thousand time to quit as royal guard. It was true, he loved guarding the kingdom, but he wasn't being entirely honest with him. Sure, he couldn't say that he had another very good reason to stay at the palace to work, but that didn't stop him from thinking about it, especially after the day before. Gabe shook himself out of those thoughts and looked around the square. The market place was filled with lanterns and ornaments decorating the square, the small orchestra was settled in front of the round fountain in the middle of the square, playing the Avalorean music everyone was dancing to. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he watched as Joaquin spoke with Francisco and Esteban, moved his gaze towards Naomi dancing with Mateo, who seemed to be the one to actually follow rather than lead, but that didn't stop him from having fun. Isabel was running around with Caterina, probably trying to discover a new species of lizard. Luisa was lively chatting with Queen Teresa, probably about grandmother/mother things. He looked around, unable to find his parents, but he wasn't worried, they were probably still back home at the bakery to close it in order to join the celebration later, or they were just lost in the swarm of partying people.

"I'm starting to think that your 'being on duty' is just an excuse to hide the fact that you're not a party person" Elena said walking beside him. Gabe was slightly startled, as he was too distracted by everything else, to notice the Crown Princess walk up to him, but he _was_ wondering where she had gone, not having seen her in a while.

"It might surprise you, but I actually am a party person. I was just thinking" Gabe replied.

"And analyzing the situation as usual" Elena added "You really _are_ a royal guard to the core"

"As you are a princess" Gabe replied, with a smile. Elena smiled back before looking towards the dance floor.

"So, I said I wanted to see you dance tonight and so far, I have not. What do you say? We go in there and show everyone how to salsa?" she said elbowing him playfully. Gabe smirked amused, raising an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't _I_ be the one asking _you_ for a dance?" he said.

"Now you're just stalling" Elena noted, with an amused smirk herself "You can just say you don't know how to dance if that's the problem. I can teach you!"

"Thanks for the offer, Princess, but I'll have you know that I'm actually quite a decent dancer" Gabe replied proudly. Elena's amber-brown eyes gleamed playfully as Gabe had just served her the perfect response.

"Then show me" she replied. Gabe chuckled, realizing he was not getting out of it. Elena smiled enthusiastically, at him.

"As you wish, Elena" he said taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. After all, he was just teasing, Gabe just couldn't bring himself to say 'no' to Elena, even if she was asking for something as a friend. As they got to the dance floor, Elena placed her hand on Gabe's shoulder, clasping her hand around his thumb, firmly settled in her palm, ready to give the command, he placed his hand on her shoulder-blade to accompany her and give command. They started with the basic salsa steps. It was a quick salsa, but Gabe held the rhythm perfectly, his eyes never leaving Elena's who awaited for his command, as they just went along with the basic step to build up the chemistry that didn't wait too long to settle between them. Gabe gave the command and led her into a _Dile que no_ , followed by one base in open hold, followed by a 70, _Dile que sì,_ a73, _Preciosa_ , _Balsero_ and other dynamic figures, that made some of the less expert couples walk to the side and admire the Princess of Avalor and her royal guard, dance the night away with energy and not caring one bit if being watched. The teens didn't even notice that Roberto and Blanca Nuñez had finally joined the celebrations and were looking for their son.

"Roberto, look! There's Gabriel!" the woman pointed into the crowd.

"Where? Where's my Royal Guard star?" the man said looking around, unable to spot him.

"Right there. He's dancing with Princess Elena" Blanca said excitedly as she watched her happy son commanding the princess into a series of twirls. Roberto found his son just as Gabe dipped Elena before pulling her back up and commanding her into a _Vacilala_ , freeing her from his grip so that they were now dancing face to face. Elena doing the basic _Paseos_ while Gabe moved his shoulders, puffing his chest out at the three beats of the drum, before taking a step closer to her and placing his hand back on Elena's shoulder-blade and commanding another _Dile que no_ , returning into another open hold.

"Would you look at that! Our Mijo is one mighty salsero, even better than me!" Roberto said proudly, watching his son commanding the princess in an advanced figure as they danced together. Then that last thought struck him "Uhm… Blanca, are you sure it was a good idea to let him ask Princess Elena for a dance? I mean, she's the _princess_!" he asked his wife worriedly.

"Come on, Roberto. Let him have fun! You can talk to Gabriel later. Plus, knowing our Mijo, I believe it was probably Princess Elena to push him on the dance floor with her" Blanca said smiling, as she took her husband's hand and led him away from the dance floor.

Elena and Gabe were really having the time of their lives. Considering what he had said, Elena thought that _'rather decent'_ meant that he knew enough moves to ask a girl for a dance, she had absolutely no idea he was actually an amazing dance partner. At first Gabe had started dancing to show off his moves a little and because he wanted Elena to have fun, but as soon as the chemistry between them settled in, Gabe had started dancing because he was enjoying it. As they danced, Elena looked at him move and do his small variations in the figures, coming to the conclusion that Gabe was and _felt_ very macho as he guided them in dancing their hearts out. He was tiring her, but in a good way, he made her twirl around a lot and accompanied her in every move, keeping a perfect rhythm. They had chemistry and they were showing it on the dance floor, figure after figure, until one last _Sombrero_ , him pulling her back to him with a twirl to the ending final dip.  
The two teens smiled at one another, panting heavily, chuckling with one another as Gabe pulled Elena back up and holding her hand he led her out of the crowd.

"I told you I was a decent dancer" Gabe said smiling, his hands finding the belt on his jacket, unfastening it so that he could take his jacket off, feeling the heat he built up by dancing like that.

"You were lying! You're more than a _'decent dancer'_ " said Elena, still catching her breath. Gabe chuckled as he took off his jacket, placed it on the closest table and rolled up his wide V-neck white shirt beneath it.

"Well then! I suppose you don't mind a second round? This one's slower" Gabe said, holding his hand out, noticing the slight change in the base rhythm. Elena smiled and took his hand, following him into the dancing crowd. They got back in position and Gabe immediately took the lead in this more relaxed salsa. Gabe's parents weren't the only ones who had seen their child dancing and with whom. It didn't take long for Elena's grandparents and sister to see her as well. Luisa smiled knowingly as she looked at Elena and Gabe dancing together.

"Ahh, I know that look" Francisco said, smiling softly, seeing his wife's gaze "What are you thinking?"

"Young love" Luisa replied, looking at her granddaughter, dancing with a happy grin on her face that matched her partner's "Lieutenant Nuñez is a nice boy"

"He is indeed. But I believe he and Elena are just friends" Francisco said innocently. Luisa giggled at her husband, looping her arm through his.

"Oh, Francisco… You said the same about our Lucia and Raul" the woman said, smiling at him. Francisco laughed, remembering full well how that ended with Raul asking him for his daughter's hand.

"I believe our Elena is in denial" Luisa said, never taking her eyes off the couple. Francisco raised an eyebrow looking back at her "Or she pretends like nothing's out of the ordinary to cover up that she actually likes Lieutenant Nuñez"

"Abuelo! Abuela!" they heard Esteban call them, walking beside them "Have you seen Elena? She should go speak with King Joaquin instead of- DANCING WITH HER _ROYAL GUARD_?!" Esteban freaked out the moment he saw Elena with her hand sliding from Gabe's back, around his side, to his abdomen as he proceeded with a _Torsillo_ to end the _Arco y Cintura_ figure, before taking her hand back in his and guiding her into a dip, followed by another figure as he pulled her back up.

"Yes!" Luisa said happily "Aren't they cute, Esteban?" she then added innocently.

" _Cute?!_ This is unacceptable! A princess can't dance with a royal guard! She should be dancing with a king, or prince, or any sort of royalty! Not a royal guard, a- a-… _commoner_!" Esteban said indignantly, ready to march towards them.

"Calm down, Esteban" Francisco said placing a hand on his shoulder "So _what_ if he is not royalty? Lieutenant Nuñez is a good guy. Have you forgotten how he saved Isabel and Princess Caterina, earlier today? _And_ he scored the winning goal"

"Relax, Mijo" added Luisa smiling gently "He's here as a teammate today, not a guard. Let him and Elena enjoy the night" Esteban frowned.

"But Abuela! King Joaquin-"

"-Is enjoying himself, as well" she replied nodding towards the Coriza king trying his best in his attempt to salsa with Carmen from Café Angelica, while his wife was dancing the night away with Julio, Carmen's brother. Esteban huffed in frustration. Everyone was doing what they wanted and never listened to him… as usual. "Come on, Esteban. Enjoy the evening, you can think about politics and worry about your cousin's love life tomorrow" Luisa said, stroking his arm. Esteban looked back towards Elena and Gabe and huffed. He had to admit it, though: those two _were_ cute together.

"Fine… but he better not get too touchy! Elena is still the crown princess!" he decreed causing his grandparents to laugh at him. He pouted in response, crossing his arms like a child and glaring daggers at Gabe's direction, supervising, before his grandfather asked him to go look for Isabel as a distraction. Then the couple averted their gaze from their elder granddaughter and decided to join in the dance as well.

Elena and Gabe were oblivious to the exchange between her grandparents and the Chancellor, too concentrated in enjoying each other's presence and the party. Elena was a really good partner as well, Gabe had thought as soon as they had started dancing. She followed his lead flawlessly and he enjoyed it as much as he could since that was probably going to be the only situation in which it was Elena who followed and not the other way around. Most of all, he enjoyed it not just because it had been a while since he danced like that, but because he was dancing with Elena. He loved to see her smile, her smile was contagious and it made him happy. She took care of everyone in the kingdom and she deserved to have fun once she had a night off and Gabe was honored to be the one to help her do that. He wondered how she juggled all that. He guessed that that was just Elena being Elena, but still, she was just two years younger than him and yet she held the weight of a whole kingdom on her shoulders and she made it look effortless. Just like she made it effortless to follow his lead and keep up with him as he unraveled her from the last figure, pulled her close to him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders for support and at the last two beats he dipped her and pulled her back up.

The teens smiled at each other, muscles relaxing just enough that their foreheads touched one another both catching their breaths; Elena's hand slid from his shoulder to his nape, fingers in his hair, as the other slid from the opposite shoulder to the other, as Gabe's free hand went to rest on her waist, his other hand thoughtlessly rubbing his thumb on her side. Neither of them realizing the closeness or not caring at all.

"If I'm to enter a dancing competition I want _you_ as my partner. Deal?" Elena joked smiling, stroking his hair with her thumb.

"As long as you're mine if I do" Gabe answered chuckling.

"It's a deal then!" Elena replied laughing along before she moved in to hug him with a smile and planting a small kiss on his cheek. His natural response was to hug her back, tightening his grip on the arm around her upper body, feeling warm where her lips had touched him. When they pulled away from the embrace they didn't separate completely, Elena's hands had slid down on his chest and Gabe's were both resting on her waist, and then they saw that look in each other's eyes again as their gazes locked once more. It was magnetic on both parts. Elena remained still, but Gabe once again took the initiative and leaned in.

"Hey, Elena!" Gabe swiftly masked his leaning in as a head turn as both he and Elena jerked their head in Naomi's direction as the blonde walked up to them, along with Mateo. They both took a step away from each other, pulling away from the hug completely.

"Naomi! Mateo! Are you two having fun?" Elena asked, apparently unfazed by that small moment. Gabe remained silent.

"Yup!" Naomi replied "I actually have a proposition for you"

"I'm listening" Elena replied with a warm smile.

"A trade for the next dance? Gabe for Mateo" she said casually resting her elbow on Mateo's shoulder.

"Same for you Gabe: Elena for Naomi?" Mateo replied smiling. Gabe and Elena shared a playful look.

"Sure!" they chorused and with that Gabe walked a few feet away holding Naomi's hand and Mateo did the same with Elena. Naomi suddenly grabbed Gabe's forearm with her other hand.

"Okay, I'll come clean. Mateo and I have actually just challenged one another in a dance battle" Naomi confessed. Gabe laughed.

"Oh, so you just want Elena and I for our dance skills! And here I was thinking you just wanted to have fun with your friends" he joked. Naomi lightly punched his chest before placing her hand on his shoulder.

"You know that was the first reason!" she complained "Now come on! Help me show Mateo who's the best dancer! By the way, Mateo and I just finished our break, how long have _you_ been dancing?" she asked as Gabe started out with the basic steps, once he firmly placed his hand on her shoulder-blade.

"About three songs: two salsa and a samba" Gabe replied "Now shut up and follow my lead" he said. Naomi rolled her eyes, but obliged, following his lead on that merengue. As soon as the song was over, apparently the merengue was just a warm up, in fact, as soon as the following rather quick salsa started, Gabe sent Naomi a mischievous look. She smirked and made eye contact with Mateo who smirked back challengingly, then she nodded back to Gabe who immediately started working his magic, making them glide across the dance floor. For not being an Avalorean, Naomi knew her Avalor dances as she followed Gabe at every command, soon enough her little contest with Mateo went forgotten as she couldn't help but become busy having too much fun as her friend had her dip, twirl around, getting tied up with her arms in figures that he effortlessly unraveled following a perfect beat. On the other hand, Gabe too was having fun, but he already missed dancing with Elena, not for clinginess, but because even if she tried Naomi was harder for him to lead. They didn't have the same chemistry he discovered to have with Elena, though he had to say that with him, the blonde girl's dancing had gained a good five points more.

The other couple was on the same boat, only the other way around. Mateo was not a bad dancer, not at all, plus, he was doing his best to beat Naomi in their little contest, but even to him the battle was soon forgotten as he loosened himself completely as he guided Elena. It was maybe the only time Elena ever saw Mateo not being shy. The crown princess was having fun with his friend, but she missed Gabe's guidance already. Elena had come to the conclusion that when it comes to Avalorean dances, the men (excluding the beginners) were divided in two types: the loosened up type and the macho type. The loosened up were the men who danced to relax, have fun and show off their moves and their variations consisted in quick multiple moves with arms, legs and feet; that was Mateo. The perk of having this partner was that it was very entertaining on both sides. The machos were those whose moves were faithful to the dance's roots, especially salsa, which was courting and showing off how manly they were; their variations had a lot of hip movement and shoulder action, usually accompanied by chest puffing out; that was Gabe. The perk of these partners was that they use more tension in their hands and arms, which means they accompanied the lady much more, meaning that the lady **_cannot_** miss the command, unless it is a macho with a weak grip.

"Finale's coming" Gabe told Naomi "Want take this up a notch? Ready to win your little contest?"

"What contest? I was too busy enjoying myself" Naomi replied nonchalantly. Gabe laughed.

"Just jump and twirl when I give you the right command" he replied. Naomi's eyes lit up.

"Oh yes! I like where this is going!" she said understanding his intentions immediately. Gabe guided her through another few figures, at the last _Dile que no_ , Gabe pulled towards him before commanding her into a _Vacilala_ , Naomi twirled towards him, stopping in front of him her back facing his chest as Gabe blocked her with his hands on her waist and picked her up throwing her up in the air. As warned, Naomi jumped to help him with the lift and twirled in the air. Gabe promptly caught her, smoothing her landing, she got back up and Gabe dipped her at the final beat. Naomi started laughing like an idiot and wrapped her arms around Gabe's neck as he pulled her back up, hugging her back and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"I can't believe I just did that!" Naomi said laughing, pulling away "I'm sorry for Mateo, but you're my new dance partner if I enter a competition" she joked, wrapping an arm around his waist, walking towards the other couple. Gabe laughed, placing his arm around her shoulders.

"You have to see what Elena has to say about that. She called dibs first" he joked. They met up with their friends and who won would have forever remained a mystery.

After that dance, Gabe and Elena both walked off the dance floor and soon went into different directions, needing a break and something to drink.

* * *

It turned out to be a fun night, unlike what Gabe had thought, considering that his plans for the night had been to stay on the side and protect Elena and her family like he always did. He was sitting on the set of stairs of Doa Paloma's Emporium, drink in hand looking at the dancing people and relaxing. His eyes may have been on the crowd, but his mind was somewhere else. Twice. Twice in one day he felt that connection with the crown princess, or rather, twice he had tried to kiss her. He was not going to lie, it had been a while since he felt like that. When they first met, he knew had made a fool out of himself because he was trying too hard to impress her, he soon learned that the only way to gain Elena's respect, trust and appreciation was by being himself. What had been the revealing moment of what he felt towards her had been when Orizaba showed up. He learned what it was really like to be scared for someone else when Elena had passed out in his arms not to wake up for two days and that the only reason he felt like that was because his feeling for Elena had changed into something more than just friendship.

On the day before _Navidad_ when she had gently placed her hand on his shoulder and looked at him tenderly saying that holidays aren't about what you do, but who you spend them with, had been a sign to him. Maybe he wasn't indifferent to her either. That small gesture had meant something to him, or when they sang together during the _parranda_ and had looked at each other as they sang that the only thing you need to have on that holiday are the people you adore. As he thought that, he hadn't even realized that he had been looking at Elena for the whole time. He watched her speak with Queen Teresa, stroking Isabel's shoulder as she had walked beside her with the queen's daughter. That smile he had immediately fallen in love with plastered on her face. Elena was beautiful, but if there was one thing he loved about her looks was her smile.

Elena's behavior though was confusing him. She was sending out mixed signals. Ever since he had met her, one second she seemed interested the next she wasn't, like she did earlier. Twice she seemed to be okay with him trying to kiss her, but right after they got interrupted, she acted like nothing ever happened, like there had been no connection between them. Then again, it could be worse, she could have been way too self-conscious and started avoiding him. Gabe watched as Elena exchanged a laugh with Queen Teresa before patting Isabel's shoulder as she ran along with Princess Caterina to explore some more. He smiled lightly, she had a way with kids and they all loved her, like the rest of her people.  
Elena suddenly caught him staring. She felt a sudden warmth raise to her cheeks as she saw Gabe smile at her. She smiled back and lightly waved at him. Gabe waved back. The Coriza queen noticed and observed the exchange knowingly.

"He's a handsome young man" Queen Teresa told her with a motherly smile.

"Yeah, he is…" then Elena realized what she had just said "-I mean- who's a handsome young man?" she blabbered, feeling flustered.

"Oh, you know, that tall, dark and brave royal guard whom you were dancing your heart out with earlier and you just waved to" Queen Teresa said "He seems like a keeper, I'm happy for you Princess"

"Oh, no-! Gabe and I are not- we- we're just friends!" Elena said clumsily.

"You were blushing when you saw him look at you. It was adorable" Teresa teased "And you still are"

"No! I'm just flushed because of… the heat! You saw me, I've been dancing for a while and it is kind of warm tonight, too" Elena replied with an awkward grin. Teresa shook her head smiling motherly.

"Oh, Elena..." she said and placed a motherly hand on her shoulder "There's nothing wrong in liking a boy, especially at your age" Elena sighed in defeat, she was not good at hiding her emotions.

"Is it _that_ obvious?" she asked shyly.

"To others maybe, to him probably not. It's easy to notice things about others, but it's much harder when we have to notice things regarding ourselves" Elena sighed again, gloomily.

"But I'm the crown princess. I'm supposed to prove to my people and the other kingdoms that I'm independent and can rule on my own. I can't risk having people think that the only reason I manage to rule and do what's best for my people is because I have a man by my side" Elena explained a little sadly.

"What in the world gave you that idea?" Queen Teresa said "Elena, having a guy beside you who cares about you, doesn't make you any less independent than you already are. Having a companion doesn't mean finding someone who does everything for you, but someone who does it _with_ you… _and_ helps you _and_ supports you through difficult times and decisions. Being a leader is not doing everything on your own, it is also having faith in others… and from what I've heard that is something you already do" Elena thought about it for a moment, maybe Queen Teresa was right. Maybe she was overthinking it.

"Thank you, Queen Teresa" she replied with a small smile.

"You're welcome, Princess Elena" she replied "Plus, holding back when your affections are obviously returned, is the worst thing you could do"

"Well… not that 'obviously' " Elena replied glancing shyly at Gabe who was looking at his parents dancing among the crowd. Queen Teresa raised an eyebrow, the young princess caught her gaze and sighed "I mean, I know Gabe cares about me, we are friends after all; he's sweet, he's brave, he's loyal and 90% of the time he's there for me, like he is literally always there… but that is actually the point. It happened that he told me a few nice things but… serving me and my safety are his job! Sometimes I feel like I'm confusing the sort of attention he's giving me with what I would actually like it to be"

"Have you ever tried talking to him?" Queen Teresa asked.

"Well… no" Elena replied, looking away, then back to Queen Teresa "Should I talk to him about it?"

"If it not so obvious, why not trying to address the problem first hand?" Elena remained silent and glanced away thinking. Maybe it was the right thing to do, but how could she go on that without making a fool of herself if he wasn't actually interested?

* * *

Gabe had waved back with a tiny smile on his face when Elena had spotted him looking at her. He looked down at his drink as Elena spoke with Queen Teresa. He tried his hardest not to, but every once in a while he glanced back at her. A melancholic look on his face as he glanced down at his drink, before looking longingly at his princess again. Suddenly Gabe felt a strong hand on his shoulder, he looked up an dfound King Joaquin smiling face looking down at him

"Hello, Lieutenant" Joaquin greeted. Gabe was about to shoot up standing.

"King Joaquin! Your Majes-"

"No need to bow, young man" the other man said holding him seated with a strong grip on his shoulder and sitting down beside him instead. Gabe remained silent, not really knowing what to say.

"I saw you dance with Princess Elena earlier" started Joaquin "Nice moves for a soldier"

"Thank you. I saw you too, your Majesty, not bad for a salsa beginner" Gabe replied.

"Thank you. I did my best" silence once more. Gabe took one last sip of his drink and looked at Elena once more, having no idea that Joaquin had been observing him for a while.

"You know, Lieutenant…" started the king "You can hide a treasure, you can hide a good hand at poker, but you can't hide the blossoming of first love"

"I beg your pardon?" Gabe said feeling his cheeks grow hot.

"I've actually come here because I noticed you glancing at the princess quite often"

"I'm her royal guard. It's my duty" Gabe tried to cover up.

"Kid, I believe I have a few more years than you and I know that _this_ " he said pointing at Gabe's eyes "Is not the ' _I-am-guarding-my-ruler_ ' look" he paused as Gabe looked down busted.

"With all due respect Sire, I know what you're going to say and I know how things are: princesses don't date royal guards. Don't worry, it's just a teenage crush… it'll pass" Gabe said defeated, looking away.

"Actually, I was about to say quite the contrary" Joaquin said, catching Gabe's surprised attention once more " _Ordinary_ princesses don't marry or date royal guards, but Elena is not ordinary. I've met my fair share of princesses in my journeys. Some were spoiled little girls, others were much like Elena, gentle and compassionate, but all of them had one goal: be the rulers their parents were"

"Elena loved her parents, but she wants the people to follow her because she's earned their trust. She wants to be the queen _Elena_ can be, not a copy of her parents" Gabe interrupted, defensively.

"Exactly my point, Lieutenant" Joaquin said with a smile "Well, it's a very good thing you noticed that. But what I was trying to get to is that Elena is not going to let society's label of 'princesses marry princes' get in the way if she returns your affections" Gabe sighed.

"Beats me on that… she's sending me mixed signals!" he replied, frustrated "A moment she seems interested and the next she destroys my interpretation of it. I tried to kiss her twice today and she didn't seem to want to complain about it, but the second we got interrupted she acts like that almost-kiss never happened! I just-" Gabe stopped himself when he remembered who was talking to "I'm sorry, your Majesty. I shouldn't be rambling about this to you"

"It's alright, young man. I told you I came here to talk to you about it" Joaquin assured him. Gabe gave him a timid smile.

"I care about her, she's not just my main job, she's my friend… but I'm her royal guard, that means I have to be around her 24/7… I guess I'm just terrified that a rejection could ruin our friendship. I don't want things to be awkward between us"

"Why don't you try talking to her?" the king suggested "Not doing anything is the worst option you have because if you don't try you'll never know if you could have been more than friends, but if you _do_ there's the chance that she could like you back as there is one that she won't return your feelings, but at least you've tried and she'll know that you were brave enough to tell her" with that king Joaquin gave Gabe a manly pat on the shoulder and got up returning to his wife, who had left Elena for a while. Gabe remained alone and in silence for a few minutes, then he made up his mind. He couldn't steal Elena away immediately, he needed to get her alone first. Just then he realized that the music that had been playing for a couple of minutes was a bachata and Elena had been standing there looking at the dancing couples, including Mateo and Naomi, for a while as another bachata was starting. With a newfound confidence, Gabe stood up and walked towards one of the table to place his glass of juice and started to make his way towards Elena, but before he could even set foot across the dance floor to ask her for a dance his father placed an arm around his shoulder blocking him.

"Gabriel! There you are! Are you enjoying your night?" Roberto asked with a manly pat on his chest with a hand. His wife following them, looking at her two men with a tender smile.

"Hi, Papà, yes, I am" he replied shortly.

"Good, good! Come on, come celebrate your victory with your old man" Roberto said pulling his son with him

"Later, Papà. There's something important I need to do" Gabe replied, managing to get out of his father's grip "I'll see you later, Papà" he said and walked away. Roberto looked at him uncertain, then he noticed how his son had pointed straight to Elena, his gaze fixed on her.

"He's not going to ask the Princess on a bachata, is he?! We need to stop him before he gets in trouble!" luckily, his wife stopped him on the spot.

"It will be fine, Roberto" Blanca said with a motherly smile as she watched her son "Let him go". The man glanced at his son once more, but obeyed his wife knowing she wouldn't have let Gabriel get in trouble.

Gabe walked towards Elena, his pace confident and his eyes locked on her. Elena noticed him walking towards her and a shy smile appeared on her face. Gabe surprised her when instead of asking or saying anything, he took her hand in his, sending a shiver through her back, and motioned her with his head to follow him on the dance floor, a gentle smile on his face. Elena followed him without a word, they got in the center of the dance floor and got in the basic closed position. Gabe soon lead her on the dance floor and she followed effortlessly.

There was something different in this dance, they both could feel it. Their eyes refused to move away from one another as they started with a few easy and sweet moves like the _Caminada_. Gabe's touch was firm and gentle at the same time as his hands slid down her arms, to grab her hands to lead them up and go behind her head before letting go of them. Elena's hands followed his touch as he led her arms around his neck and leading her into a close hold. A shiver passed through him as Elena slid her hands one on his chest, the other behind his neck, sending a tingling sensation where her fingers met his hair. Elena could feel the warmth radiating from him as they swayed to the romantic music, and missed it as Gabe lightly pulled back to lead her into a base and an _Abrazala y twist_ before commanding her into a _Mano al hombro_ , a soft smile appearing on their face as they carelessly kept their foreheads closer than the figure required. As the confidence and the chemistry between them increased, making them forget about who they were and their social positions, Gabe dared a _Por detràs_ , moving behind Elena, taking her wrists to control her movements as they continued a base, before Gabe repositioned himself in front of her, so that Elena had an arm behind her back and the other in front of her; soft shivers ran down Gabe's spine when her hand came to rest on the back of his neck as he draped it there, to return to a close hold.

They were not alone, but unknowingly to them, a few couples had left the dance floor and many eyes were upon them, surprised to see the Princess doing such an intimate dance with someone, or rather, noticing her royal guard be bold enough to bring the Princess on the dance floor for an intimate dance. Especially when they saw him guide her into an _Angel_ , a figure that ended with Elena standing behind Gabe with her arms circling his torso from behind as he held her hands in his. Then came a some kind of shock when, Gabe did an hazardous move, that wouldn't have been such if the person he was doing it with wasn't Elena. He unraveled them and proceeded with a _79 y Tornado_.

When he did that move, even Mateo and Naomi were surprised by Gabe's boldness and forwardness of the figure, but they couldn't help but remain in awe a second later. No matter the sensuality of the move, Gabe and Elena were very elegant and beautiful to look at, especially in a phase where like with the _Angel_ Elena had her arms wrapped around him, with the difference that she was holding him tighter and followed in the simultaneous body wave Gabe commanded pressing his body against hers, before passing onto the next phase of the figure and continuing their dance with a _4 Esquina_. No one could have said anything against it, not even Esteban who was impatiently waiting for Gabe to get too touchy to intervene, but everyone could see that no matter the closeness and the sensuality of the figures Elena was following, Gabe was simply leading her.

As they danced, the song seemed to go by faster than it actually did, it was just them swaying to the romantic beat of the bachata that was drawing to an end. Gabe had them back in closed position and proceeded into pulling Elena back into a closed hold before she followed him into an _Estrella_ and ending in a with a _Besito_. Elena had complete trust in Gabe, she knew he wouldn't do anything to compromise her even by commanding such intimate moves, even with the two very low dips she followed, especially on the last one. Her hands were placed on his shoulders to hold her own weight and Gabe held her tight against him, one hand supporting her back, the other behind her head as he slowly accompanied her down low and slowly back up just as the music ended.  
Once again the two teens were in each other's arms, faces inches apart, Elena's hands sliding one on his shoulder the other on his chest and Gabe with a hand resting on her waist and the other had slid from the back of her head to cupping the side of her neck, his thumb thoughtlessly gently rubbed on her cheek.

"I need to talk to you" Gabe told her right away, his brown eyes locked on hers.

"Me too" Elena replied and looked around, seeing more couples going on the dance floor to dance the merengue that had started, and motioned Gabe to follow her. She pulled away from him, but took his hand and led him out of the crowd. Gabe didn't need her to ask him twice to do so. On the other side of the square, Esteban had seen them for the whole time, just like Luisa and Francisco, but unlike them, he was far from happy.

"That is _it_!" Esteban exclaimed indignantly "I will not allow such a foolish and childish behavior from the-"

"Leave them alone, Esteban" Francisco said grabbing his grandson by the back of the collar of his jacket, holding him back.

"But, Abuelo!" he tried.

"Don't you dare get in the way of young love" Luisa scolded with her cheerful smile. Esteban huffed and crossed his arms, knowing full well that he'd have to go over his grandparent's dead bodies in order to get to Elena and Gabe that night. Luisa and Francisco were not letting him leave their sight.

* * *

Gabe and Elena were silent throughout their whole walk to the nearby docks. They could hear the music from the square, but other than that it was a calm quiet night. The soft sea breeze caressing their faces, filling their noses with the smell of the sea. It was relaxing, the only light coming from the shining stars of the Avalorean sky and the bright full moon above them. Gabe glanced at Elena every once in a while, the moonlight's shade hid the tiny blush that was appearing on her face. He looked away as Elena glanced at him and his handsome features lit up by the moonlight, instead. She sensed that he was nervous and he could sense the same in her. The silence wasn't awkward, actually it was kind of pleasant. Their hands had long separated, since the moment they got out of the crowd, only making them flush as they realized neither of them wanted to let go, but they did. Elena folded her hands in front of her and Gabe clasped his behind his back.

"So…" Elena started, building up the courage "You wanted to talk to me" she said. Gabe's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, I did… but so did you so… ladies first" he said, making her heart skip a beat as she grew even more nervous.

"Yes. I did" Elena started. She decided it was best not to beat around the bush and just get straight to the point, stepping and stopping right in front of him "Gabe, I need to ask you something… I know you're my royal guard and everything but… you don't like me, right?" she asked. Gabe looked at her surprised.

"What do you mean? Of course I like you" he replied.

"No, I mean… like me, _like_ me" Elena clarified, looking straight at him in the eyes "Because sometimes there are somethings you do and say that I get the feeling are not royal guard intended… I mean- Correct me if I'm wrong!- I never thought your intentions were overly romantic, I assure you. I just… I don't want to ruin our friendship over a misunderstanding and… I wanted to make sure… I guess?" she said a little clumsily. The words she spoke made Gabe think that if he revealed his feelings rejection would have been the answer, yet, after she danced like that with him and the way she spoke them gave him hope. He went for it.

"What if I told you that you are correct? What if they were?" he replied apparently calm with beating hard.

"WHAT?! You mean- you _do_!?" Elena exclaimed shocked, her heart beating twice as fast.

"Yeah…" Gabe replied, swallowing the knot in this throat "I like you, Elena… quite a lot, actually" Elena's lips twitched upwards in a nervous smile as did Gabe's. He took a breath and took a step closer to her. "There are so many reasons why I like you. You're smart, brave, elegant, compassionate, caring, self-less… you don't need me to tell you that you're beautiful" at that they both chuckled lightly as a blush appeared on Elena's cheeks, but then Gabe returned to be a little more serious "But more importantly, you always believe in others when they don't believe in themselves… like you did with me today. You're a true leader… and I'm always with you, there's no one else I would rather follow."

"To be honest" he continued "I've been feeling like this for a while. At first I thought it was just admiration, but then Orizaba happened…" he paused "You are the first person for whom I've ever been really scared for… not just because you are my friend and especially not because I had failed my job for that day… but because I've come to care for you as more than just a friend" Elena looked away at the revelation, thinking about when he had come to talk to her after she had woken up that day.

"Why didn't you say so when you came to talk to me?" she asked looking back into his eyes, fiddling with her hands.

"Because I didn't think I had a chance with you. You've been very cryptic to me too, not to mention that you're the princess and I'm just a soldier… I guess I was terrified of ruining our friendship and make things awkward between us" he took a breath "Elena, I don't protect you and look out for you because you are my job, anymore. I do that because I want to. It's true, I like guarding the kingdom, but it is _you_ I really want to keep safe" There was a heavy silence between them as Elena processed what he had just told her. Gabriel liked her, he returned her affections and he had liked her for a while. She looked back at him when she heard him sigh, sadly "Well…" continued "Now you know. My feelings have been laid there… and I understand if you do not feel the same way" and with that he was about to turn around and walk away, feeling like he had just made a fool of himself and ruined his friendship with her.

"Gabriel, wait" Elena stopped him immediately, placing a hand on his chest. Gabe stopped and faced her again, surprised by hearing her say his full name "I…uhm…" Elena paused and took a breath feeling her heart beat so hard it could have flown out of her chest "I know that I haven't been very… clear either. Truth is that as soon as I became crown princess I thought that the only thing I had to concentrate on was proving that I can be the leader I want to be, without needing a man by my side because I saw it as showing my people that I can't do it on my own… so I picked being the crown princess over allowing myself to have a normal teenage first crush" Elena paused "Then I got to know you and thought that you were brave, loyal, professional, sweet… and the more I felt like our friendship was shifting into something more for me, the more I kept keeping you at bay, because I was both terrified of destroying what I was trying to build in favor of my own teenage fantasies, and of ruining our friendship as well because you were sending me mixed signals…"

"Then what happened?" Gabe asked

"Then someone knocked some sense into me and made me realize that being a leader doesn't mean doing everything on my own, it is also counting on others, especially the people who care about me" she paused again "I already trust you with my life, Gabriel… I want to try trusting you with my heart" she said with a timid smile. Gabe smiled back feeling his heart fill up with happiness.

"Elena, you have no idea how glad I am we've had this talk" he said with a half laugh of relief. Elena followed suit.

"Yeah, me too" she said, before locking eyes with him once more "So, Gabe…" Elena started timidly, taking another small step closer to him "I know I acted like nothing happened but… about earlier… while we were celebrating our victory…"

"Yeah?" he prompted her to continue

"And after that salsa…"

"Yeah?"

"Were you trying to… kiss me?" she asked with a faint blush on her cheeks. Gabe chuckled nervously.

"Well… now that we cleared up that we really like each other, there's no point in denying it, is it?" he replied smiling "Yes. I was and I would've, hadn't we been interrupted and rather rudely, may I add" Elena lightly laughed along. She couldn't agree more. She felt her heart skip a beat when Gabe's hand gently went up to her face to place a strand of hair behind her ear.

"But I can hopefully make amends, if you want me to" he said with his voice low and soft, as he let his hand cup the side of her neck. Elena's eyes met his once more.

"Well… no one's here right now. Everyone's at the plaza" she said softly.

"So… no one's stopping us?" Gabe said leaning a little closer.

"Nope… no one's stopping us" Elena replied, leaning in, gently placing a hand on his chest. Their hearts racing, they closed their eyes as their foreheads touched. Elena could feel Gabe's fruity breath as he was about to finally close the gap between them when-

"Elena!" Isabel called.

"Oh for the love of-!" Gabe exclaimed, throwing his head back, frustrated, interrupting himself before raising his voice too much. Elena just dropped her head on his chest in defeat. They had been interrupted, once again, when barely one inch away from each other's lips.

"Elena! Where are you?" Isabel called. Gabe sighed in frustration, leaning his head on Elena's as his hand went to stroke her back in commiseration.

"What were you saying about no one stopping us?" Gabe teased.

"I'm sorry…" Elena mumbled, lifting her head from Gabe's muscly chest and taking a small step away from him as Gabe did the same, both of them cursing the little princess' timing.

"Ele- Oh! There you are!" Isabel said cheerfully.

" ** _What_** _,_ Isa?" Elena snapped, glaring at her sister like Gabe never saw her do.

"Oh, nothing much but-" Isabel noticed her sister's angry look and glared back "-Hey! Don't give me that look! I don't know what you and Gabe were chatting about, but you don't shoot the messenger!" Elena's gaze softened and she pinched the bridge of her nose, silently counting to three.

"You're right… I'm sorry, Isa. What is it?" Elena asked, gently. Isa's glare vanished too, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Esteban said you were gone for a while and asked me to come look for you. He said you can't leave the festivity, especially when another ruler is attending" Isabel said

"Of course Esteban would be watching me like a hawk! He's Esteban. He can't mind his own business" Elena mumbled to herself. Isabel and Gabe laughed silently at her outburst.

"I say you head back right now, before our cousin sends out a whole troop to come find you" Isabel said. Elena glanced at Gabe who tried to hide his exasperation.

"Yeah. Go ahead, Gabe and I will be right behind you" Elena said. Isabel smiled and skipped away, returning to the party. "This is a conspiracy!" she complained "Three times, Gabe! Three times we were interrupted tonight! _Three times_ you tried to kiss me!"

"Elena…" he tried with an amused smirk.

"Not that I'm complaining! I wanted you to do that" she rambled on.

"Elena" Gabe called taking her hand in his. She held on to it, but kept on talking.

"But- Come on! It took us long enough to tell one another that we like each other! I don't want to wait another several months for my first kiss!"

"Elena!"

"Wha-…" her voice died down when turning back towards him, she found Gabe close to her and felt his hand softly go back in its earlier position on her neck, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.

"May I kiss you before something else happens?" he said with a slightly amused smile. Elena melted as soon as he spoke those words, his eyes meeting hers.

"Yes, you may" she replied smiling at him. Gabe didn't need her to tell him twice as he leaned in and softly captured her lips in his, as Elena tilted her head forward to finally close the gap between them. It was their first kiss and it was far better than they imagined it would be. It was soft and gentle and it sent sparks of electricity through their bodies. Gabe's hand let go of Elena's and went to rest on her waist as the other trailed down to settle there as well, as Elena's hands slid up his chest and went around his neck, her fingers gently playing with his silky brown locks. They pulled apart and their faces remained close together for a few more seconds, eyes still close, feeling the warmth radiating from each other. Gabe felt Elena's fingers gently caress his cheek before sliding a hand on his chest, making him smile as they opened their eyes.

"Best first kiss ever" she said softly with a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah…" Gabe replied smiling back, bringing his hand up to stroke her hair, before giving Elena another peck on the lips and pulling away "Now we can go back" They smiled to one another and headed back to the party.

* * *

As soon as they had set foot back to the party, they were pretty much immediately whisked away in different directions. Gabe by his parents and Elena by her relatives, unable to escape Esteban's interrogatory. Unfortunately for Esteban, Luisa and Francisco came to her rescue and dismissed his questions when Elena was having trouble being evasive and not say a word about what happened with Gabe. It wasn't like she didn't want others to know, but she didn't know how Gabe felt about them. On the other hand, Gabe didn't say a word either, not knowing how _Elena_ felt about them. When the festivity was over, as the party ended the royal family and their guests headed back to the palace, Gabe grabbed and put back on his jacket and belt and took his seat as coachman lead the carriage back. When they arrived, he immediately jumped off and went to open the carriage for the royal family. Francisco was the first to get down and held out his hand for his wife as Luisa got out too, Esteban was third and Gabe held his hand out for Elena to come out. She took his hand gripping on it with more strength than she actually usually did. When she came out, Gabe realized it was because she was holding a sleeping Isabel in her arms. Gabe looked at her tenderly as Elena gave him a small apologetic look for the hand squeeze, but a little smile. Elena held onto Isabel until the family and guard were inside the palace and ready to head to their respective rooms.

"I can carry your sister back to her room if you want, Princess" Gabe offered holding his arms out. Elena smiled grateful.

"Thank you, I'll walk with you there" Elena said passing her sister into his strong arms.

"We'll see you in the morning, Mija" said Luisa, stroking her face with a motherly smile.

"Goodnight, Abuela" Elena replied with a smile and kissed her cheek "Goodnight, Abuelo" she told her grandfather kissing his cheek as well.

"Goodnight, Mija" he replied.

"Night, cousin" Elena said to Esteban.

"Yes, goodnight, Elena" he replied formally and then tried to give an intimidating glare at Gabe, having not forgotten the young guard bachata and salsa-flirting with the princess, but Gabe remained stoic not even considering that look as intimidating.

"You too get some rest, Lieutenant Nuñez" Luisa told the young man.

"Yes, you deserve it" Francisco told him with a smile.

"Thank you, I will, Sir" Gabe replied with a bow of the head.

"Yes, right. We'll see you in the morning, Lieutenant" Esteban said, his smug look on his face.

"Chancellor" Gabe replied and with that the group went separate ways. The walk to Isabel's room was silent, but both Elena and Gabe glanced every so often to one another with a smile on their face. Most of those glances were also a silent conversation over Esteban's behavior. It was clear that he didn't approve of a soldier dancing with the princess. He probably would have had Gabe been the Prince of Enchantia or some other kingdom, not that Elena or Gabe actually cared about what the Chancellor thought about them.  
When they got to Isabel's room, Elena quietly opened the door and let Gabe inside as he carried the young princess and gently placed her on the bed, careful not to wake her up and walked out of the room, so that Elena could put her in her nightgown and tuck her in. Then placing a small kiss on her sister's forehead, Elena silently walked out of the room, meeting Gabe on the door.

"Thank you for carrying her, Gabe. She was exhausted" Elena whispered closing the door. Gabe smiled.

"I can imagine, especially after a dance of the Voladores and running around all night" he whispered back. Elena smiled "May I walk you to your room?" Gabe asked. Elena gave a light nod of the head.

"I'd like that" she replied. Gabe smiled and together the teens started walking. Suddenly their hands brushed against each other. The teens looked at one another shyly, then Gabe smiled and took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers. They walked quietly, softly chatting about the evening and the game. The initial shyness vanishing as things slowly went back to how they normally were. This was all new to the both of them but it felt nice and they couldn't help but feel a new kind of warmth by just being together. Then too soon to the both of them, they were in front of Elena's door.

"Well… here I am" Elena started walking in front of him but without letting go of his hand "Thank you for walking me back and… thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun"

"Yeah, me too" Gabe said smiling "I guess I'll see you in the morning"

"Yes, and about earlier… I didn't get the chance to tell you, but… I'd like to keep _this_ " she said motioning between them with her free hand "… quiet"

"You don't want people to know?" Gabe asked, feeling a little sad. He would have wanted to scream to the whole world what happened, but he had a very good feeling of why Elena would want to keep them quiet.

"No! No, no! Of _course_ I want them to know!" Elena replied immediately, her hands flying around his neck "Just not right away" she assured him before explaining "This is all very new to me, to us both, but even though I want to ignore it I am the crown princess and you're my royal guard and… I just don't want people to talk right away, because people _will_ talk… and some talks can get in the way of many things" she paused, her fingers stroking his hair, as she looked back in Gabe's eyes "I don't want that to get in the middle of us, especially when our relationship took long enough to even begin" she explained. Gabe's lips formed into a smile

"Did I just hear you say an ' _us_ ' and a ' _relationship_ ' in the same sentence?" Gabe said, and Elena smiled unable to contain the excitement nodding, lightly biting her bottom lip "I like it" he added, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a sweet kiss on her forehead "I understand… we can keep it quiet for as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere" he said softly.

"Thank you" she replied with a grateful smile.

"Well then… I'll see you in the morning" he said

"See you tomorrow" she replied, her voice matching his soft tone. Elena met him half way as Gabe leaned in to close the gap between them once more as his lips tenderly touched hers in a long gentle kiss. The sweet sparks of electricity running through their bodies, relaxing as Gabe delicately held her in his arms and Elena softly run her fingers though his hair. Then they pulled away, a smile on their face, still lingering close so that their noses brushed against one another, eyes still close. Her arms quietly slid down onto his chest.

"Goodnight, Elena" Gabe said with his voice barely above a whisper.

"Goodnight, Gabe" Elena replied with the same tone of voice and with that, Gabe took a step back and walked away. Elena opened the door to her room, but glanced back at him in his direction and smiled as Gabe had turned around to look back at her. Then, she closed the door and her turned the corner. When they were under the covers of their beds, they found sleep thinking of what had been pretty much the best goodnight kiss of all time and the newfound strength in their feeling of looking forward to seeing each other the following day. They knew this was their first crush, their first attempt at romance and they both wanted to take things slow. They knew that is was not going to be easy, and they had no idea where it was going to bring them, but both Gabe and Elena had a good feeling about it and they were going to find out together.

* * *

 **And there you have it! I don't know if I'm going to write more fanfics companion to this, but I hope you enjoyed it ;-)  
I really hope you liked it! What did you think of poor Gabe always getting interrupted? What about Elena's reaction when he finally confessed his crush on her? Their first kiss? ****Tell me your thoughts about it with some reviews!**

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing!** **I'll see you next time!**

 **The Princess of Stars**


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